Virginia has completed the ultimate redemption arc, winning its first NCAA championship, 85-77 in overtime, against Texas Tech on Monday in Minneapolis.
Just one year ago, the Cavaliers became the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed. Now the Cavaliers are NCAA champions.
De'Andre Hunter scored 27 and Kyle Guy added 24 for Virginia in the first national title game to go to overtime since Kansas beat Memphis in 2008. Virginia, which went 12-for-12 on free throws in overtime, is also the first first-time champion since Florida in 2006. Both Virginia and Texas Tech were playing in the NCAA final for the first time. Brandone Francis led the Red Raiders with 17 points.
Virginia-Texas Tech: Score, updates
2019 NCAA tournament bracket
Click or tap here for a printable bracket.
2019 NCAA tournament: Schedule, scores
2019 NCAA tournament: Teams
Here is the complete list of teams in the tournament. They are listed in alphabetical order:
Abilene Christian
Arizona State
Auburn
Baylor
Belmont
Bradley
Buffalo
Cincinnati
Colgate
Duke
Fairleigh Dickinson
Florida
Florida State
Gardner-Webb
Georgia State
Gonzaga
Houston
Iona
Iowa
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Kentucky
Liberty
Louisville
LSU
Marquette
Maryland
Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Mississippi State
Montana
Murray State
Nevada
New Mexico State
North Carolina
North Carolina Central
North Dakota State
Northeastern
Northern Kentucky
Ohio State
Oklahoma
Old Dominion
Ole Miss
Oregon
Prairie View A&M
Purdue
Saint Louis
Seton Hall
St. John’s
St. Mary’s
Syracuse
Temple
Tennessee
Texas Tech
UC Irvine
UCF
Utah State
VCU
Vermont
Villanova
Virginia
Virginia Tech
Washington
Wisconsin
Wofford
Yale
Who won the first March Madness?
The inaugural tournament had just eight teams, and saw Oregon beat Ohio State 46-33 for the title in 1939:.
Who has won every NCAA tournament?
In the 80 years since the tournament’s inception, 35 different teams have won a championship, but no team has won more than UCLA, which has 11, 10 of which came a span of 12 years from 1964 to 1975.
Here is the list of every men’s basketball national championship since the NCAA tournament first started in 1939:
| YEAR | CHAMPION (RECORD) | COACH | SCORE | RUNNER-UP | SITE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Virginia (35-3) | Tony Bennett | 85-77 (OT) | Texas Tech | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| 2018 | Villanova (36-4) | Jay Wright | 79-62 | Michigan | San Antonio, Tex. |
| 2017 | North Carolina (33-7) | Roy Williams | 71-65 | Gonzaga | Phoenix, Ariz. |
| 2016 | Villanova (35-5) | Jay Wright | 77-74 | North Carolina | Houston, Texas |
| 2015 | Duke (35-4) | Mike Krzyzewski | 68-63 | Wisconsin | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| 2014 | Connecticut (32-8) | Kevin Ollie | 60-54 | Kentucky | Arlington, Texas |
| 2013 | Louisville (35-5)* | Rick Pitino | 82-76 | Michigan | Atlanta, Ga. |
| 2012 | Kentucky (38-2) | John Calipari | 67-59 | Kansas | New Orleans, La. |
| 2011 | Connecticut (32-9) | Jim Calhoun | 53-41 | Butler | Houston, Texas |
| 2010 | Duke (35-5) | Mike Krzyzewski | 61-59 | Butler | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| 2009 | North Carolina (34-4) | Roy Williams | 89-72 | Michigan State | Detroit, Mich. |
| 2008 | Kansas (37-3) | Bill Self | 75-68 (OT) | Memphis | San Antonio, Texas |
| 2007 | Florida (35-5) | Billy Donovan | 84-75 | Ohio State | Atlanta, Ga. |
| 2006 | Florida (33-6) | Billy Donovan | 73-57 | UCLA | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| 2005 | North Carolina (33-4) | Roy Williams | 75-70 | Illinois | St. Louis, Mo. |
| 2004 | Connecticut (33-6) | Jim Calhoun | 82-73 | Georgia Tech | San Antonio, Texas |
| 2003 | Syracuse (30-5) | Jim Boeheim | 81-78 | Kansas | New Orleans, La. |
| 2002 | Maryland (32-4) | Gary Williams | 64-52 | Indiana | Atlanta, Ga. |
| 2001 | Duke (35-4) | Mike Krzyzewski | 82-72 | Arizona | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| 2000 | Michigan State (32-7) | Tom Izzo | 89-76 | Florida | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| 1999 | Connecticut (34-2) | Jim Calhoun | 77-74 | Duke | St. Petersburg, Fla. |
| 1998 | Kentucky (35-4) | Tubby Smith | 78-69 | Utah | San Antonio, Texas |
| 1997 | Arizona (25-9) | Lute Olson | 84-79 (OT) | Kentucky | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| 1996 | Kentucky (34-2) | Rick Pitino | 76-67 | Syracuse | East Rutherford, N.J. |
| 1995 | UCLA (31-2) | Jim Harrick | 89-78 | Arkansas | Seattle, Wash. |
| 1994 | Arkansas (31-3) | Nolan Richardson | 76-72 | Duke | Charlotte, N.C. |
| 1993 | North Carolina (34-4) | Dean Smith | 77-71 | Michigan | New Orleans, La. |
| 1992 | Duke (34-2) | Mike Krzyzewski | 71-51 | Michigan | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| 1991 | Duke (32-7) | Mike Krzyzewski | 72-65 | Kansas | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| 1990 | UNLV (35-5) | Jerry Tarkanian | 103-73 | Duke | Denver, Colo. |
| 1989 | Michigan (30-7) | Steve Fisher | 80-79 (OT) | Seton Hall | Seattle, Wash. |
| 1988 | Kansas (27-11) | Larry Brown | 83-79 | Oklahoma | Kansas City, Mo. |
| 1987 | Indiana (30-4) | Bob Knight | 74-73 | Syracuse | New Orleans, La. |
| 1986 | Louisville (32-7) | Denny Crum | 72-69 | Duke | Dallas, Texas |
| 1985 | Villanova (25-10) | Rollie Massimino | 66-64 | Georgetown | Lexington, Ky, |
| 1984 | Georgetown (34-3) | John Thompson | 84-75 | Houston | Seattle, Wash. |
| 1983 | North Carolina State (26-10) | Jim Valvano | 54-52 | Houston | Albuquerque, N.M. |
| 1982 | North Carolina (32-2) | Dean Smith | 63-62 | Georgetown | New Orleans, La. |
| 1981 | Indiana (26-9) | Bob Knight | 63-50 | North Carolina | Philadelphia, Pa. |
| 1980 | Louisville (33-3) | Denny Crum | 59-54 | UCLA | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| 1979 | Michigan State (26-6) | Jud Heathcote | 75-64 | Indiana State | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| 1978 | Kentucky (30-2) | Joe Hall | 94-88 | Duke | St. Louis, Mo. |
| 1977 | Marquette (25-7) | Al McGuire | 67-59 | North Carolina | Atlanta, Ga. |
| 1976 | Indiana (32-0) | Bob Knight | 86-68 | Michigan | Philadelphia, Pa. |
| 1975 | UCLA (28-3) | John Wooden | 92-85 | Kentucky | San Diego, Calif. |
| 1974 | North Carolina State (30-1) | Norm Sloan | 76-64 | Marquette | Greensboro, N.C. |
| 1973 | UCLA (30-0) | John Wooden | 87-66 | Memphis State | St. Louis, Mo. |
| 1972 | UCLA (30-0) | John Wooden | 81-76 | Florida State | Los Angeles, Calif. |
| 1971 | UCLA (29-1) | John Wooden | 68-62 | Villanova | Houston, Texas |
| 1970 | UCLA (28-2) | John Wooden | 80-69 | Jacksonville | College Park, Md. |
| 1969 | UCLA (29-1) | John Wooden | 92-72 | Purdue | Louisville, Ky. |
| 1968 | UCLA (29-1) | John Wooden | 78-55 | North Carolina | Los Angeles, Calif. |
| 1967 | UCLA (30-0) | John Wooden | 79-64 | Dayton | Louisville, Ky. |
| 1966 | UTEP (28-1) | Don Haskins | 72-65 | Kentucky | College Park, Md. |
| 1965 | UCLA (28-2) | John Wooden | 91-80 | Michigan | Portland, Ore. |
| 1964 | UCLA (30-0) | John Wooden | 98-83 | Duke | Kansas City, Mo. |
| 1963 | Loyola (Ill.) (29-2) | George Ireland | 60-58 (OT) | Cincinnati | Louisville, Ky. |
| 1962 | Cincinnati (29-2) | Ed Jucker | 71-59 | Ohio State | Louisville, Ky. |
| 1961 | Cincinnati (27-3) | Ed Jucker | 70-65 (OT) | Ohio State | Kansas City, Mo. |
| 1960 | Ohio State (25-3) | Fred Taylor | 75-55 | California | Daly City, Calif. |
| 1959 | California (25-4) | Pete Newell | 71-70 | West Virginia | Louisville, Ky. |
| 1958 | Kentucky (23-6) | Adolph Rupp | 84-72 | Seattle | Louisville, Ky. |
| 1957 | North Carolina (32-0) | Frank McGuire | 54-53 (3OT) | Kansas | Kansas City, Mo. |
| 1956 | San Francisco (29-0) | Phil Woolpert | 83-71 | Iowa | Evanston, Ill. |
| 1955 | San Francisco (28-1) | Phil Woolpert | 77-63 | LaSalle | Kansas City, Mo. |
| 1954 | La Salle (26-4) | Ken Loeffler | 92-76 | Bradley | Kansas City, Mo. |
| 1953 | Indiana (23-3) | Branch McCracken | 69-68 | Kansas | Kansas City, Mo. |
| 1952 | Kansas (28-3) | Phog Allen | 80-63 | St. John's | Seattle, Wash. |
| 1951 | Kentucky (32-2) | Adolph Rupp | 68-58 | Kansas State | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| 1950 | CCNY (24-5) | Nat Holman | 71-68 | Bradley | New York, N.Y. |
| 1949 | Kentucky (32-2) | Adolph Rupp | 46-36 | Oklahoma A&M | Seattle, Wash. |
| 1948 | Kentucky (36-3) | Adolph Rupp | 58-42 | Baylor | New York, N.Y. |
| 1947 | Holy Cross (27-3) | Doggie Julian | 58-47 | Oklahoma | New York, N.Y. |
| 1946 | Oklahoma State (31-2) | Henry Iba | 43-40 | North Carolina | New York, N.Y. |
| 1945 | Oklahoma State (27-4) | Henry Iba | 49-45 | NYU | New York, N.Y. |
| 1944 | Utah (21-4) | Vadal Peterson | 42-40 (OT) | Dartmouth | New York, N.Y. |
| 1943 | Wyoming (31-2) | Everett Shelton | 46-34 | Georgetown | New York, N.Y. |
| 1942 | Stanford (28-4) | Everett Dean | 53-38 | Dartmouth | Kansas City, Mo. |
| 1941 | Wisconsin (20-3) | Bud Foster | 39-34 | Washington State | Kansas City, Mo. |
| 1940 | Indiana (20-3) | Branch McCracken | 60-42 | Kansas | Kansas City, Mo. |
| 1939 | Oregon (29-5) | Howard Hobson | 46-33 | Ohio State | Evanston, Ill. |
*Louisville’s participation in the 2013 tournament was later vacated by the Committee on Infractions.
What were the most memorable championship games in March Madness history?
Some recent classics include the 1989 title game, when No. 3 Michigan defeated No. 3 Seton Hall, 70-69 in overtime and the 2016 national title game when Villanova beat North Carolina, 77-74, on a shot at the buzzer by Kris Jenkins.
You can read more about classic NCAA games here and watch them all on NCAA on Demand on YouTube.
How are March Madness teams selected?
There are two ways that a team can earn a bid to the NCAA tournament. The 32 Division I conferences all receive an automatic bid, which they each award to the team that wins the postseason conference tournament. Regardless of how a team performed during the regular season, if they are eligible for postseason play and win their conference tournament, they receive a bid to the NCAA tournament. These teams are known as automatic qualifiers.
The second avenue for an invitation is an at-large bid. The selection committee (more on them in a second) convenes on Selection Sunday, after all regular season and conference tournament games are played, and decides which 36 teams that are not automatic qualifiers have the pedigree to earn an invitation to the tournament.
Who is on the March Madness Selection Committee?
School and conference administrators are nominated by their conference. Those who are selected serve five-year terms and represent a cross-section of the Division I membership.
Currently, the chair of the committee is Bernard Muir, the director of athletics at Stanford.
Here are the rest of the committee members:
- Mitch Barnhart, director of athletics, University of Kentucky
- Tom Burnett, commissioner, Southland Conference
- Janet Cone, director of athletics, University of North Carolina Asheville
- Bernadette McGlade, commissioner, Atlantic 10 Conference
- Michael O’Brien, vice president and director of athletics, University of Toledo
- Jim Phillips, vice president for athletics and recreation, Northwestern University
- Chris Reynolds, vice president for intercollegiate athletics, Bradley University
- Craig Thompson, commissioner, Mountain West Conference
- Kevin White, director of athletics, Duke University
What is the importance of seeding?
The NCAA men’s basketball tournament is made up of 68 teams. On Selection Sunday, before any tournament game is played, those teams are ranked 1 through 68 by the Selection Committee, with the best team in college basketball — based on regular season and conference tournament performance — sitting at No. 1. Four of those teams are eliminated in the opening round of the tournament (known as the First Four), leaving us with a field of 64 for the first round.
Those 64 teams are split into four regions of 16 teams each, with each team being ranked 1 through 16. That ranking is the team’s seed.
In order to reward better teams, first-round matchups are determined by pitting the top team in the region against the bottom team (No. 1 vs. No. 16). Then the next highest vs. the next lowest (No. 2 vs. No. 15), and so on. In theory, this means that the 1 seeds have the easiest opening matchup in the bracket.
